Working independently on the dissertation proposal: experiences of international Master’s students

Abstract

This article explores the experiences of international students as they engage in independent learning through formulating dissertation proposals. It contributes new insights by focusing on the ‘pre-supervision’ stage, where students formulate a research project and write a proposal independently. The analysis draws on questionnaire and focus group data from a large cohort of international taught postgraduates in business disciplines at a UK university. Two types of experience become apparent: one in which students work through the challenges presented by more independent learning, and the other where difficulties in ‘getting started’ present a barrier to progress. The article concludes by proposing a scaffolding approach, through which students can practise and complete key independent learning tasks involved in writing a dissertation proposal.

Keywords:

• Independent learning
• dissertation proposals
• postgraduates
• international students
• scaffolding

Acknowledgements

The research for this article was originally carried out for Gayle Pringle Barnes’ MEd dissertation, which was supported by the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow.